Improved bridge



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Letters Patent No. 94,321, dated August 31, 1869.`

IMPROVED BRIDGE.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To alt/whom 'it may concern:

'Be it known um 1, JOHN LAIRD, of centen, in

the county of Stark, and in the State of Ohio, have :a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference heilig hadto the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of `reference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention consists in the construction of a number of cast sections, which, when placedl together, form a continuous cast arch, from shoe to shoe; also, in the manner of securing the npper and lower bars of the arch by these cross-sections, and in the manner in which the shoe is connected with the arch.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains, to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, referring to the annexed drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is side view of the arch;

Figure '2, a cross-section of the same Figure 3 is an enlarged plan view of the shoe;

Figure 4 is an enlarged perspective of the block connecting the arch with the shoe; and

Figure 5 is a. plan view of one of the cast sections forming the arch.

a represents the top or upper, and b, the bottom or lower bar of 'an arch, which are connected by means of a series of cast sections, A A, constructed in the following manner:

c c are end-pieces, connected by bars al (l, which cross each other.

The end-pieces or bars c c are provided with horizontal bars e e, near their top and bottom, of the same length as the width of the upper and lower bars ot the arch; and at the other ends of said horizontal bars are other similar end-pieces c c and cross-bars d d, all cast in one piece, with a connecting-rod or bar, f, at the joint of the cross-bars l d.

The end-pieces c c project bove and below thehorizontal bars c e, so that the upper and lower'bars of the arch are enclosed between' said projections.

A series of these cast sections being placed together, so as to form the arch, the bars c and b are secured by bolts and screw-nuts, said bolts passing through holes made for that purpose in the horizontal bars e e- '.Ihese holes may be made just large enough to allow the bolt to pass through, the adjoining bars having each one-half of the hole, as shown in iig. 5; or there may be a hole or slot; of any size, in the bar e, to allow the bolt to pass through.

Between the ends ofthe ,bars a and b is placed a block, B, which forms the connection with the shoe O.

The shoe C is provided with two bevelled standards hy h., each having a projection, i., on its inner side; and between them are two lugs It' k, between which the horizontal bar D of the arch ,i's secured.'

'Ihc block B is made hollow, as seen in fig. 4, and is provided with recesses m m., in which vthe projections Ii. t' of the shoe are inserted, the end of the cast section A resting against the other side of said block, and the upper and lower bars of the arch vextending over the upper and lower side of the block, which thus forms the connection between the shoes and the cast sections of the arch.

Bolts are then passed through the plates c and b and the block B, and secured by nuts,`so as to hold them firmly inplace.

Having thus fully described my invention,

What I claim asnew, and desire to' secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The use of the cast sections A A, constructed as.

described, and forming a continuons arch, from shoe to shoe, substantially as herein set forth.

2. The cast section A, constructed as described, the

end-pieces projecting above and below, so as to secure the upper and lower bars of the arch, substantially as herein set forth.

3. Connecting the arch of a bridge with the shoes by means of the blocks B B, substantially as 'herein set forth.

4. The combination o f the shoes O G, blocks B B, cast sections A A, and bars a and b, all constructed as described, `and connected.substantiallyin the manner and for the purposes herein set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing, I p have hereunto set my hand, this 15th day of March, 1869.

JOHN LAIRD.

Witnesses JAS. W. UNDERHILL, A. W. WRITING. 

